Safety emergency-brake.



No. 719,699. PATENTED FEB. a, 19031 W. T. SEARS.

SAFETY EMERGENCY BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. G, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

will/III,

C TrE-ii |NVENTCIRI PATENTED FEB. 3, 1903;

W. T. SEARS. SAFETY EMERGENCY BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1902. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHBET-2.

INVEN EI M'JM WITNESSES:

A Mann" STATES P TENT OFFICE.

VVI LLARD T. SEARS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SAFETY EMERG E NCY-BRAK E'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent fie. 719,699, datecl'February 3, 1903.

Application filed September 6,1902. Serial No. 122,396. (No model.)

any reason the ordinary brakes fail to oper-' ate or cannot be operated quickly enough to fully check the car in emergencies, and the embodiment of my invention hereinafter de scribed may be used without connection with any other braking device.

The object of the invention when embodied in a brake or stopping mechanism for vehielse is to produce a device of tnis character by means of which, if occasion requires, a braking action of a greater or less extent may be obtained directlyagainst the surface upon which the vehicle runs, Whether it be the ground, rails, or other surface, the construction -being such that the momentum of the wheel or of the vehicle partlysupported thereon may be practically employed to apply the necessary friction, without causing such an excessive movement of the checking device as would tend to carry it beyond the brakingpoint.

Afurtherobject of the invention is the production of a device of this character which may be partially applied to meet ordinary checking demands, but which upon a slight further movement will act to further check the movement of the wheel when desired.

To these ends the invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side eievation of a truck of a car, one of the wheels of which is shown as having my invention applied thereto, said figure also showing a portion of the floor or frame of a car. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2' of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig;

2 looking in the direction of thearrow, but with the brake in the first stage of its action.

Fig. 4 represents a view similar to Fig. 3,

of its action for checking a car. Fig. 5 represents a' plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 represents an enlarged view of the parts shown in Fig. 4, but showingthe brake which is applied to the wheel at the other end of the axle from that shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 represents a detail section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. '8 represents a section on line 8 8 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 represents an elevation looking from the .left of Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the brake in the position which .it occupies when suspended out of action. Fig. 11 represents an elevation from the right of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 represents a detail elevation of the portion of the device which is shown in section in Fig. 8. Fig. 13 is a view similar with the main plate of ,the brake removed. Fig. 14. represents a horizontal section on the line 14 14 of Fig. 11. Fig. 15 represents a detail elevation of some of the parts similar to preliminary stage of operation.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

showingt'he brake in the second or final stage to Fig. 10, with a portion of'the wheel and Fig. 10, with the brake-shoe in its first or In the drawings I have illustrated my in vention as appliedto a car-wheel, the brake or friction shoe beingdesigned to be interposed between said wheel and the rail upon which said wheel runs. It is to be understood, -however, that in its broad aspect my invention is to be construed as equally capacarried by suitable shaftiug, it being necessary, howeveigi'r this instance to locate a bar bar would take. the place of "the track-rail over, would be supported so as to yield somewhat away ;from the shafting.

In the embodiment of the invention illustratedthe wheel is represented at a and is shown as mounted upon an axle b, although it is to beunderstood that I do not limit myself tothemounting on the. axle. The axle b is shown as supported in a truck-frame e, -her e represented somewhat conventionally,

ble of being applied to a pulley or other wheel shown in the drawings, and which bar, morein suitable juxtaposition to the wheel, which and supporting'a car-body, aportion of which indicated in Figs. '3 and 15.

somewhat elongated bearing h, through which the axle 12 passes. The longer diameter of .the opening forming the bearing 7t is in the direction of the greatest length of the plate g. By comparing Figs. 6, 7, and 8 it will be seen that the lower edge of the hanger or shoe 0 is tangential to the wheel, while the plate 9 serveschiefly as a means of supporting the shoe and of holding it in its several proper positions relatively to the wheel. The shoe is formed with a curved edge corresponding with the tread of the wheel, and said shoe carries a series of rollers 7c, on which the wheel may ride when the parts are in the posi- G tions s own in Fig.6. These rollers are shown mounted in suitable recesses in the shoe and are held therein by a plate 2', secured to the shoe, as by screws t". The portion of the shoe which is at the greatest distance from the axle b is provided with a wheel .or roll Z, adapted to lift the shoe over any obstructions it may encounter when turning and when the device is in the position shown in Fig. Band when the-car is moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in that figure. Thelower corner or angular portion ofthe shoe, which may be called the tip, is slightly rounded or pointed, as at m, the purpose of which is to exert friction against the rail when the shoe is partially lowered, as to the position I When the device is in this position, a braking action will be effected, which will serve to gradually check thevehicle; but if the shoe be released, so that the forward motion of the vehicle will cause the wheel to ride up onto the 1 shoe, due to the friction of the tip end with the rail or other surface, the shoe will be tilted to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 7, arid thus cause such great friction as to quickly check the forward movement of the vehicle. Any tendency of the wheel to rotate, however, will. be permitted by the rollers 70, and there- .fore if the axle Z) has a motor mounted thereon the axle and motor would not he suddenly stopped by the checking action of the shoe. The checking or braking result is obtained between the straight edge of the shoe and the top of the rail or other surface, the shoe being kept in the position shown in Fig. 7 by the forward pressure of the axle b, the weight of the vehicle, and the plate-hangers of the shoe.

As shown in Figs. 10 and 13, the lower edge of the shoe or hanger is provided with a series of rollers similar to the rollers 70 and also mounted in recesses. These rollers it may be omitted, as indicated in theother figures; but when present they serve to prevent a toosudden braking action against the surface d, owing to theinzrolling in their sockets. The friction between the wheel and said rollers memes and between the latter and the walls of their Figs. at and 6. I will now describe the means which I have illustrated for. these results.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the two shoes for thetwo wheels which are upon the same axle are connected by a'rod a, so that both will be moved together. Mounted on this rod n is a sleeve 0. This sleeve at accomplishing each end is provided with an arm 12, having two pins of different sizes, (represented at p and 19 The arms 20 extend through slots 0*, formed in a plate or bar 1 supported by the truck frame, each slot having small side notches r, as shown in Fig. 5. The main slot, which is indicated at r, communicates with an opening 1' in said plate q. .As shown in-Fig. 1, the small pin 10 of the arm 19 rests upon the plate g. If the arm 10 be swung, however, to a position where the pin p will slip through the slot .7, the arm will be permitted to have a downward movement until the larger pin 1) comes in contact with the since the two arms are secured to said sleeve the arms must move together. Therefore when such movement of the arm p has oc-. curred as just described, the sleeve 0 and the rod 'n, contained therein, and the two shoes descend to a limited degree. This degree is such as willpermit the rounded or pointed tip on of the shoe to make contact with the rail or other surface, as indicated in Fig. 3. If now it be desired to releasethe shoes, so that the two wheels will ride up onto them, (or, in other words, so that the straight edges of the shoes will rest upon the rail,) the sleeve 0 is moved to a further extent, so that the pins 1) of the arms 19 will slip through the large hole with which the slot 1" communicates, thus releasing the shoes, so that they can descend to the position indicatedin Fig. 4. The means for operating the sleeve 0 comprise an arm 8, secured to said sleeve and extending up through a. slot in the plate q and having its upper end connected by a chain't, rod u, and chain 0; with a vertical shaft w, having a handle 11), said shaft and handle being of the type commonly employed in one form of brake-applying mechanism.

The object of elongating the bearing-openings h for the axle is topermit sufficient play in the direction of the greatest length of the hanger, so that when the hanger is raised from contact with the relatively, stationary surface (as the rail d);the frollers 7c willnot bear upon the periphery of thewheel; but at. 

